Has anyone tried the new Roundel Digital Edition?

It's a bit of a mixed bag. You have to fiddle with a slider bar to read the pages, then when you turn to read the next page, there's this really strange zoom out then zoom in behavior before it will turn the page! What's up with that? Whatever happened to just flipping to the next page WITHOUT the zoom in, zoom out special effects.

The one dark-comical moment: In the December 2009 edition, on page 19, a BMW Motorsports advertisement about the Rahal-Letterman racing program, BMW bragging about their racing and motorsports involvement, one issue after announcing they were pulling out of factory-sponsored racing altogether. What was that all about?

The most ironic thing about it was the title: Commitment. M-Power. Commitment? BMW quit their racing program, so how can they advertise about commitment?

Is that the same as the "lifetime fill" fluid they've been telling people their transmissions use?

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It's a bit of a mixed bag. You have to fiddle with a slider bar to read the pages, then when you turn to read the next page, there's this really strange zoom out then zoom in behavior before it will turn the page! What's up with that? Whatever happened to just flipping to the next page WITHOUT the zoom in, zoom out special effects.

Apparently, you either have an odd older version of Adobe Reader or you have some kind of weird setting on it. I have no problem whatsoever viewing the pages nor scrolling side to side. You can change the zoom level on every Adobe version I know. Once you do that, it should resolve the side panning/scrolling issue.

The one dark-comical moment: In the December 2009 edition, on page 19, a BMW Motorsports advertisement about the Rahal-Letterman racing program, BMW bragging about their racing and motorsports involvement, one issue after announcing they were pulling out of factory-sponsored racing altogether. What was that all about?

The most ironic thing about it was the title: Commitment. M-Power. Commitment? BMW quit their racing program, so how can they advertise about commitment?

Is that the same as the "lifetime fill" fluid they've been telling people their transmissions use?

BMW quit F1. I, for one, am delighted because F1 is not the be-all and end-all of racing. It is merely an overpriced open wheel formula series. For a lot less money than supporting one mediocre F1 team, they can now support a widespread sedan racing effort around the world, including Rahal-Letterman, Schnitzer, and others. This is where they made their name in racing; with production-based vehicles. That even includes the F1 championship cars that ran sleeved M10 stock blocks! Maybe you should reexamine your definition of 'commitment' - or brush up on your reading.

The problem with your response is that I didn't place the ad, BMW did. Seems to me you could stand a refresher course in reading comprehension, too.

OK; I found that issue. It uses some odd reader I've never heard of, therefore I apologize for my remarks about the Adobe settings. I looked over several of the Adobe ROUNDELS that show up when you click the "Roundel Magazine" link at the bottom of this page. I agree that this one is odd and cumbersome but, then again, if you're not a member and you're reading it for free, deal with it. As a member, you get a paper copy that eventually will be a PDF. Maybe we just need to speed up that process and get around to having a 'paperless' option.

But you're still wrong on the racing. BMW will be supporting racing, whether it's directly from the factory or in the form of subtly slipping a few privateers the goods they need to be competitive. Did you read the link I provided? What makes you think BMW isn't committed to racing?

"BMW AG said it will leave Formula One motor racing at the end of the 2009 season, another sign of auto makers' growing difficulty in justifying the sport's high costs at a time when global auto sales are slumping."

I've been a big fan of Formula 1 as long as I can remember. Don't get me started on what I don't like about NASCAR (backhoods hick image, the fistfights, running single digit MPG, carbureted, black smoke spewing big blocks in a day and age when we all ought to start thinking about the impact on our planet are all issues that don't help).

I was a lot more interested in how BMW could influence F1 than in how F1 could influence BMW.

I cleared out my browser cache and it seems to be somewhat more readable now. I still prefer the tree-killing paper version though.

Thanks again

Please check out my new science fiction adventure story now online at http://www.xybears.com. Your help and support with this would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

I've been a big fan of Formula 1 as long as I can remember. Don't get me started on what I don't like about NASCAR (backhoods hick image, the fistfights, running single digit MPG, carbureted, black smoke spewing big blocks in a day and age when we all ought to start thinking about the impact on our planet are all issues that don't help).

So what you and Ed are saying is, if it ain't F1, it ain't racing? Those of us who like all kinds of automotive competition generally consider that snobbery. There's an awful lot between NASCAR and F1 and if you're too 'good' to appreciate it, that's your loss. I have met some of my best friends in IMSA and SCCA racing over the past two decades. After a half dozen years as a fan, I started working; first for an endurance racing team and then for SCCA as a scrutineer. It has been a great ride for all those years. You can't live without the shriek of a Ferrari or McLaren F1? [I could - I hate them as much as an under-muffled Mazda rotary.] Come to Road America during the historic races when Sheboygan's Brian French and others bring out the ones they own. You might learn a little about Can Am cars, too. Oh. My. God. What a show that is, even if they are just "single digit MPG, (injected!) black smoke spewing big blocks" in cars with a maximum weight. FWIW, I find some irony in an F1 fan claiming to have environmental concerns over racing.

With the exception of a very brief fling in the turbo era, BMW didn't make its racing reputation in F1 and I hope they never bother to go back. They made it where it counts: in road racing. That's where they'll be in 2010 and, hopefully, for the foreseeable future.

Whoa whoa whoa, I never said that "if it ain't F1, it ain't racing" counselor. I merely pointed out the irony of BMW pulling out of F1 and then receiving an e-mail from BMW asking to support the team. Having said that, I will miss BMW in Formula 1. With Mercedes coming back to F1 as a standalone team, I was looking forward to the MB vs BMW battles.

I wish there was more coverage on Speed (the Nascar channel) of other types of races. I would love to see more BMW racing exposure. The reality is, if Speed does show something other than NASCAR or bling bling car shows, they'll show it between 2:00 and 2:30am on a Tuesday and they don't even advertise it.

You have the advantage of living close to Road America. I was there a few years ago for the historic races and it was the best time I've had as a spectator on a racetrack in years. In south Florida there's not a whole lot going on with historic racing except when they hold the Cavallino every January and we get to see historic Ferraris, Maseratis and Alfa Romeos on the track.

I never mentioned 'hate', and 'we' weren't talking only about F1 until you decided so in this latest message. Let's see if we can recap accurately:

You saw an ad about the Rahal-Letterman ALMS team and BMW's commitment and somehow, you saw that as contradictory or ironic in light of BMW quitting F1, and in your observation, you said, "one issue after announcing they were pulling out of factory-sponsored racing altogether". Have I got it right so far?

I then said that BMW had not quit racing; only F1, to which you and Ed basically reiterated that BMW quit F1. Did I miss anything yet?

Finally, I pointed out that, based on the above, you and Ed apparently consider F1 to be the only legitimate form of auto racing that merits BMW's support and, in doing so, you seem to ignore (not "hate" - such an ugly word) other quite legitimate forms of racing that BMW still supports. Along the way, you did take the time to denigrate NASCAR and "KART" (above), much as I take the occasional cheap shot at the F1 Circus. I figure that's a fair exchange.

So, in summary, you complained that BMW quit racing; I said they didn't; and you finally changed the definition of 'racing' to F1. What did I miss? I mean, I am gettin' old and if it's early onset Alzheimer's, I want to know ...

Finally, I pointed out that, based on the above, you and Ed apparently consider F1 to be the only legitimate form of auto racing that merits BMW's support and, in doing so, you seem to ignore (not "hate" - such an ugly word) other quite legitimate forms of racing that BMW still supports.

Not to beat an old cliche to death but... You know what happens when you assume? I never once said that F1 is the only form of racing that merits BMW support. Let me reiterate once again the point of my post (and I'll put it in real simple terms):

Not to beat an old cliche to death but... You know what happens when you assume? I never once said that F1 is the only form of racing that merits BMW support. Let me reiterate once again the point of my post (and I'll put it in real simple terms):

Actually, I am rather pleased with the digital edition, for those who can read magazines that way. Rather old-school myself, I like the "dead tree" variety. But the online version does allow you to click through, spot an ad, and click the page to go to the advertiser's website---that I like.

Also, the past-issues search engine seems useful so far. I did a search on "325iX" and it brought up those issues which had sucjh a reference, and displayed the pages where I might find each. Could be useful, I suppose.

If you want to see the REAL future of online publications, click here to check out what they're doing in the real world. Alas, as we are still a car-club newsletter, I can't even imagine the production budget we'd need for such technology!

As for you guys snipping and sniping at each other over Formula 1. . . let's try to get along. I am just grateful that I can once again revel in the highest level of motorsport: the World Rally Championship!

Satch Carlson

"The first failure of communication is the belief that any is taking place."

...I am rather pleased with the digital edition, for those who can read magazines that way. Rather old-school myself, I like the "dead tree" variety. ...

I had been (trying to) read the December Roundel on-line but when my piece of "dead tree" arrived yesterday, I abandoned the on-line version. It felt such a relief to rip open the plastic wrap and begin riffling the pages. Such a relief. I am surprised how much reading a magazine is a tactile experience for me. I kinda dig deeper and deeper in multiple passes, pausing longer and longer on specific items each time. In internet vernacular, a magazine has a high "bandwidth" for information. I have heard whispers that people are actually starting to read daily newspapers again.

I do like the digital editions, although I am generally sick of sitting in front of computers to do stuff. The first thing I did on the digital edition was search on my name to reread all the annoying Letters to the Editor I'd written. That will be the real value to me, so search for the stuff I've read on paper and want to review. (Now where is that brilliantly written "Overlooked Nobility" article?) I do, ahem, "recycle" my paper magazines.